Hi guys and welcome to our first crowdfunding campaign! After 5 years of living on the road we’re ready to make the most important (and epic) album of our careers. We’re putting it all on the line and because we’re independent, we need your help to make it happen. Check out the new song previews above, then read on…Some important info:
*All rewards ship worldwide.*Limited edition album and t-shirt artwork won’t be offered again outside this crowdfunding campaign.*The live acoustic EP won’t be offered outside this crowdfunding campaign.*Payment can be made in 4 currencies (via PayPal or credit card).

Who are The Sunpilots?

The Sunpilots were born in a Sydney garage in 2006 and we’ve been totally independent ever since. In fact, one of the first things we did was start our own record label. Staying in control of our music has been at the core of everything we’ve done. The first 5 years were intense – we released our debut record Living Receiver and toured Australia relentlessly. We worked all day, put everything we earned into the band, and played all night… And we achieved some awesome things: national radio & TV airplay, Indie Album of the Year from from Aussie street press, an iTunes Single of the Week, a MusicOz award. Then some US & Canadian college radio DJs began spinning our songs and we landed Best International Artist at the Canadian Independent Music Awards and Single of the Year at the LA Independent Music Awards.

That got us thinking… Australia has a great rock scene but it’s isolated. We knew we had to start touring the US and Europe to really get out there. So in 2010 after recording our second album King of the Sugarcoated Tongues we bit the bullet, sold everything we owned, bought a one-way ticket out of Australia and began living on the road. We turned up jet lagged & clueless in Europe with nothing but our suitcases & enough savings to last a year. And no idea if we could make it work.

But thanks to your support, we did. Fast forward to 2016 and we’ve toured all over the USA, UK, Germany, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania… well, you get the idea! More stories than Spinal Tap and one hell of a ride.

What does “living on the road” mean?

It means that unlike most indie bands who tour for a month or two and head home, we’ve been on the road for 5 years. For 6 months each year we tour & have no fixed home. We do around 4 gigs a week (our last US tour was 70 shows across 35 states in 90 days) and crash on fans’ couches. When we’re not touring, we play street music to pay our way. Instant noodles have become our best friend. It’s been tough, but we managed to pull off an incredible world tour and got our music out there in ways we never dreamed possible.

This is our most important record

We’re really proud of what we’ve achieved, but it’s time to take The Sunpilots to the next level. There’s an electric chemistry in the band after touring together for so long and that’s really coming through in the new songs. This is gonna be our best record yet – darker, heavier & straight from the heart. It’s about the things we’re most passionate and outspoken about, like equality and human rights. It’s a reflection of who we are as both musicians and people.

So this is what we’re gonna do…

We’ve decided to do the writing in Berlin because it’s cheap, inspiring and has a great street music scene. We’re making enough from street music to cover our living expenses & the cost of a small rehearsal room for demoing.

We need to raise enough to record, mix & master the album at an international level. We also need to cover flights, visas and transport for the tour after the album is released. Gigs will pay enough for food and fuel (and we’ll couch surf with you guys for accommodation) but they don’t cover much else. We want you to know exactly how your contribution will be used so we’ve broken down the budget below.

The last few years have been amazing for us & we’re on the edge of something big. Everything we’ve been working towards is finally coming together… So check out the awesome rewards we’ve got and see if any catch your eye. We’d love it if you chose to be part of making this record with us!

Other ways you can help

Spread the word! Independent music is all about word of mouth. If you can share this page on social media & send it people you know, it will be a huge help. By doing so you’re reaching places we would never be able to reach ourselves. Facebook, Twitter, personal emails, phone calls, even sending it to your favourite blog or radio station… it all makes a difference:

The budget

We need to raise $70,000 USD to cover the expenses below. There are several costs (like music videos) which we haven’t included. If we exceed our goal, that’s what the extra will go towards. We have a lot of experience making the most of limited budgets without taking any shortcuts. The success of this campaign will determine how amazing this record will become.

Recording expenses

Recording costs

For studio time, recording gear, assistant engineers etc.

$10,000

Mixing

$8,000

Mastering

$3,000

Other album expenses

Artwork and packaging design

Album art & limited edition artwork for supporters.

$2,000

Promotion

Promoting the album to press & radio. This is a very small budget for international promo- we’ll put more into this if we exceed our goal!

$4,000

Making the rewards

1000 CD initial run for supporters

Getting them manufactured & sent to us

$2,000

250 double vinyl LPs

Getting them manufactured & sent to us

$3,500

50 custom USB sticks in metal boxes

Getting them manufactured & sent to us

$800

250 T-shirts

Getting them manufactured & sent to us

$1,700

Touring expenses

European tour van repairs

Minor repairs to get our European tour van ready for touring

$1,000

US tour van

We’re touring the US & Canada for 6 months so we need to buy a van (renting for 6 months is crazy expensive). We’ll be using the van for the next few US tours too.

Risks

If we don’t reach our goal, we are still getting the money that is raised. So if we don’t reach our goal, we’ll have to rethink how we are planning to make this record. But rest assured we are gonna deliver this thing regardless of how this campaign plays out. Even if that means borrowing money to finish it.

It took a lot of convincing, but Raj finally agreed to give up his handmade Hendrix-style blue velvet jacket. He's worn it on stages all around the world during the last 5 years. A piece of Sunpilots history! Includes a signed CD, live acoustic EP and downloadable versions of both. We’ll thank you in the physical liner notes too! You’ll get the CDs 1 month before the official release date.